Opinion writing by Nwarimoya Naomi iro-Oghene
In life, many of us hold on to friendships simply because we have known those people for a long time. However, some friends fail to see the sacrifices, love, support, and silent encouragement we give them.
I have experienced this personally. A friend of mine, who knows my flaws and weaknesses, would always use them against me whenever we had an argument. She would bring up my past mistakes and insult me, while I remained silent because I wanted to preserve the friendship.
How can two friends have a disagreement, and within a few lines of messages, one person starts calling the other a fool? There was even a time when we argued, and she reminded me of all the help she had given me, calling me an ungrateful bastard. Those words hurt deeply because friendship should be built on respect, not insults.
In her mind, everyone should return every favour she gives and constantly show appreciation. While it is good to appreciate kindness, it should never be demanded in a rude or insulting manner. Most people do not mind showing gratitude, but they do not want to be humiliated or made to feel worthless.
A true friend does not use your weaknesses as weapons during arguments. Real friendship is built on understanding, respect, and forgiveness. When a friendship becomes filled with insults, manipulation, and constant emotional pain, it may be time to question whether it is truly a friendship at all.
